Mark on leg

[mr_frisky]

Hi

A few days ago I noticed a strange mark on my cats thigh:

Any idea what this could be?

I first thought it might be an abcess, but there doesn't seem to be any holes, no obvious lumps and it doesn't look like an abcess caused by a bite she had 3 years ago:

You can hardly see the new one unless you part the fur as in the picture.

Just for clarification: pics 1 & 2 were taken today, pic 3 3 years ago.

Inevitably I've googled all worse-case scenarios, but they don't really look similar. Maybe it's a bite and it's healing?

[booktigger]

I'd get her checked by a vet

[Lilith]

So would I, but in the interim, if you've got/can get hold of some Hibiscrub, it seems to work well on this kind of sore place. Or even plain salt water - 1 tsp to 1 pint water.

All the best with her

[mr_frisky]

I'll give it a go. There doesn't seem to be any discomfort or any obvious breaks in the skin, just a rather strange red mark.

[Lilith]

Hey after I posted I just happened to be staring at my black tux Mouse, who has a tiny bald patch on her throat caused by when she used to wear a collar (don't like collars but when they roamed it was essential.) Her skin looks very pink against the white fur, if I didn't know what had caused the patch I'd think it was an inflammation.

Could it be that your cat's had a tuft of fur pulled out in a scrap, or by a prickly bush or splintery fence?

Hope the vet finds nothing wrong

[bobbys girl]

I'd get her checked out just to be on the safe side, but it may just be as Lilith said. My Bob has several small scars around his neck from tick bites. Some are just tiny bald spots, others have white hairs sprouting out of them where there used to be black ones.

[mr_frisky]

I will, thanks all.

[TheCatsMum]

I just wondered if your cat had been in a fight and has an infected wound. Either way, I'd get it checked out. Let us know how you get on.

[mr_frisky]

I've just noticed 2 lumps on her stomach:

I'm taking her to the vets tomorrow (if they have any appointments available).

Any ideas what these could be?

I'm really worried.

[MarySkater]

Forgive me if this is too obvious, but could they be teats?

[Lilith]

They look like nipples as Mary has said - but I'm assuming they're not?

However. I remember taking my Mouse to the vet, must be 10 or so years ago, with a bleeding crusty nipple, fearing mammary cancer of course, and they said it was nothing, didn't even do tests, and they were right - the little horror is still with me and thriving!

I do hope it's the same with your cat, all the best and good luck.

[booktigger]

My first thought is nipples

[mr_frisky]

Thanks for checking. My first thought was teats - I spend a long half an hour looking at pictures of cat nipples on the internet, but they all said they weren't visible unless pregnant.

In the end I took her to the vet (can't make tomorrow) and the vet confirmed they are teats, but 2 of them are a little larger than normal. She thinks she must have grazed her body, losing a bit of fur on something to make them stick out visibly, and there was definitely nothing else wrong with her that she could see, not mastitis or anything. What surprised me is how low down they are - at the bottom of her stomach.

The vet gave her a thorough check (including the original mark) which is nearly healed now, and thinks it was another graze or bite.

She even took her temperature and checked her heart and everything ans she was fine.

There was me thinking she was riddled with tumours, and it's just a scrape!

I'm glad I went, even though it was an out of hours appointment. They just charged me the normal fee (£40) not the £110 they would normally, too!

[MarySkater]

Very good news. I'm sure you're relieved. Nipples are very variable, but they can be seen more easily on cats with short or thin fur. (Even males!)

[booktigger]

Glad the vet put you at ease and couldn't find anything serious

[bobbys girl]

Yes, pleased all is well. I know once you get a thought in your head you can start imagining all sorts of horrors. (well I can!)

BTW on more than one occasion I have mistaken Bob's nipples for ticks. Good job I checked before I yanked on them .

[Lilith]

Ah, good news!

The times I've been to the vet and said, 'I hope I'm not bothering you about nothing - well, no, I hope I AM' lol.

Much better safe than sorry

[mr_frisky]

Absolutely. Thanks all for your concern.

The vet also put some flea treatment on her and she's snoozing in the sun now with the others, having forgiven now I think me for unceremoniously bundling her into a carrier last night.

[alanc]

Confession time. I once shot off to the vets with my old dog, only to find the cancerous growth I thought he had was his nipples! And then there was the time as a naive first time cat owner I took a 6 month old Sally to the vets in panic only to discover her odd behavior was her coming on heat! (I should have realized why the local tom cat was sitting on my doorstep and yes, she got booked in for the operation straight away.)

[mr_frisky]

LOL. Normally I can't see her nipples, but she's lost some fur so the ones at the bottom are visible. They are probably also more prominent because she had three litters of kittens when she was younger, before she came to me.